Alright, business owners, let’s get comfy. Remember those days of chasing fleeting website visitors with banner ads? Turns out, your audience has found a much more comfortable hangout: YouTube. According to Comscore’s January 2024 data, it’s the reigning champ of US smartphone apps, even eclipsing the giants like Facebook and Instagram. And while mobile viewing is significant (projected at 41.2% for June 2024), the trend is clear: YouTube is increasingly the go-to screen on the couch – the new TV.
Think about your own evening routine. Are you eagerly clicking on random ads, or are you more likely to get lost in a product review, a helpful “how-to,” or an engaging brand story on YouTube? Your customers are doing the same. Ignoring this massive shift is like setting up shop in a deserted mall. You need to be where the eyeballs are, and right now, a whole lot of eyeballs are on YouTube.
But simply existing on YouTube isn’t a magic sales button. Just like that one relative who shows up to every holiday but doesn’t actually engage, a lackluster channel won’t cut it. This is where strategy and, yes, optimization come into play. You need to make your videos discoverable, speak the algorithm’s language, and entice those relaxed viewers to take action.
So, how do you ditch the digital tumbleweeds and start growing your business on the platform your customers are glued to? Here are three key action steps to get you started:
- Embrace the Research: Before you even think about filming, understand the landscape. What are your competitors doing? What keywords are relevant to your audience? Analyze what’s working (and what’s flopping) in your niche to reverse engineer a winning strategy.
- Think “Show, Don’t Just Tell”: Video is inherently engaging. Showcase your products in action, offer valuable tutorials, share customer testimonials, or tell your brand story in a compelling way. Think less “sales pitch” and more “valuable content that builds trust.”
- Optimize for Discovery: Treat your videos like little digital explorers trying to get found. Use relevant keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags. Create eye-catching thumbnails that beg to be clicked. Engage with comments and build a community.
Your customers are on YouTube, often in their most relaxed state, ready to be engaged. Stop chasing outdated marketing tactics and start creating valuable, optimized video content that meets them where they are – even if that’s on the couch. The remote is in their hand, make sure your channel is a worthy destination.